European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 20, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. May so 1s86 the stars and stripes Page 17 Vietnam vets say hero figure distorts reality by Janet d Agostino John rambo tone Man War. Machine with endless rippling Muscles and unbeatable combat cunning has for some become the Roost visible Vietnam Veteran.  for Many real life vet Erans. However the rambo movie character a tories violence promotes racism and downplays the important veterans issues they do not want rambo or the produce and Star of the rambo movies Sylvester Stallone to be thought Olas their spokesman ". I  image of Vietnam veterans is being disservice a by these films said Joseph Bangert. A Vietnam Veteran who is is Rector of the agent Orange program in Boston. They have nothing to do with reality Larry Chart Lentz director of membership services of the Vietnam veterans of America based in Washington . Said. He Stallone certainly is no spokesman Lor Vietnam veterans i think he presented an unbalanced picture of War. Anyone who has been under fire knows thai is not the Way it  William Stankiewicz it Salem mass a Veteran who did see combat As an infantryman in. Vietnam said of the rambo movie he saw i thought it was hyped up and ridiculous As far As realism. I think he gives people a bad perspective that someone can go into combat situations Tike that and come Cut smelling like a although the Flambo movies use the important Vietnam veterans issues such As agent Orange and Post traumatic stress syndrome As a springboard to catapult rambo into action any Good intentions quickly urn bad according to veterans. Both movies rely on violence blood mutilated body parts ingenious weapons and Stallone s physique rather than words or Story line to keep the audience s attention. In first blood rambo travels to a Hick town somewhere in the United Stales to look up a fellow Green Beret who bought with him in the War rambo learns that his mend has died from cancer presumably caused by agent Orange. He then through no fault of his own. Comes into conflict with the town s sheriff who takes an immediate dislike to the Long haired Veteran and hauls him Oil to jail on some phoney charge. Rambo is forced to wage a War against the sheriff and the police department relying on the guerrilla tactics he teamed As a Green Beret in Flambo first blood part is rambo serving the jail term he received in the first movie is rescued from the Rock pile by his former commander who Havo lumbered rambo or a secret Mission in Southeast Asia that Mission is to find and photograph evidence of prisoners of. War held in Vietnam. But rambo a set up and deserted by an unethical military officer and he is forced to carry out the Mission alone. Both movies Ore bloody and violent. Wilh Stallone typically saying mumbling As few words As possible. While rambo May have fed into a wave of Patriot Lorn washing through the United Stales causing Stallone to become a hero figure to a Young generation in the Way John Wayne was to another Vietnam veterans had Tew Good things to say about the movies. The films did go a Long Way in drawing attention to the three main issues agent Orange Post traumatic stress and pow Sand mias. Said David Pye vice president of the Vietnam veterans of mass and executive do Rector of the greater Lynn Vietnam veterans outreach Center if he Stallone conceal rated his efforts on highlighting those issues the movie could have been better. But the concentration is on sensationalism incendiary devices and body parts flying Oil the screen Tony Diamond editor in chief of veterans Outlook a veterans newspaper published in California is less critical of the rambo movies which he sold highlighted Vietnam issues and helped some Vietnam veterans step Forward. It is , a said that ignores the message and concentrates on the superficial trappings. To the last rambo film the message was that we. Have 2.454 Man and women unaccounted trom the Southeast asian War. That s what rambo was trying to say said Diamond who is not a Veteran but was with the us in Vietnam. I think the general Public missed the message. I Don t think Stallone was to  others do blame Stallone. According to or. Charlie Clements who flew Over 50 missions in Vietnam As an air Force Pilot Stallone was quoted in a Magazine As saying that he Speaks for the Vietnam Veteran. Vietnam veterans do not need a Man who sought detergent from the War at a school for girls in Switzerland speaking or them said Clements who is now an assistant professor of prevent Atlee Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in new York. The movie was racist sexist and glorified violence.". .-.-. When Stallone was chosen As Man of the year by the Harvard University 5 Hasty pudding theatricals in february about 100 veterans protested outside the Cambridge building where he was being honoured. They later held a discussion called rambo versus reality on another part of the Campus. The protest and discussion were organized by Bangert and Clements. Clements runs a group in Washington . Called americans for peace in the americas and has produced a film called witness to War which is about his experiences in a guar Willri Hekl Section Ole Salvador Keating civilians. He showed tils film thai night to contrast a realistic View of War with the depletion in the Stallone films. The Center Tor defense  private nonprofit group headed by iwo retired . Navy admirals released a report in May titled militarism in America detailing what ii describes As the growing influence of the military on american tile. Under the heading rambo mania the report contends Trie. Spate of violent militaristic films Are developing cull followings bringing military language gear and dress into Vogue. Anti soviet films commercials and advertisements con Riquie to the perception that the russians Are a dehumanized enemy and that we Are Superior to them in every Way Many veterans also say they feel exploited because Lallona is making millions of dollars by capitalizing on i heir issues and yet is inaccessible to veterans and does not make contributions to veterans groups Banger who made an unsuccessful request to meet with Stallone the Day the actor received the Harvard award said that Stallone makes Vetsalo station films that Are motivated by profit and  veterans were also concerned about the images of War that the movies give to the Many teen agers in the audience. They noted that rambo is bang used As a Buzz word to describe military action or anything else perceived As he Man Type activity. War is not an adventure such As portrayed in rambo where no one is wounded or wiled except if enemy where the camera angles and makeup ate perfect and where there Are no lasting consequences said Clements. Janef o Acostino i 8 in Chianco Init Salhi to Reno Roll Iram Mcmon Sylvester Stallone hat honed at Vietnam Veteran John rambo in two film